India has taken a definitive position by calling off talks with Pak: Uday Bhaskar

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Last Updated: Tue, Aug 19, 2014 16:45 hrs

Defence analyst Commodore Uday Bhaskar said today that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a definitive position on relations with Pakistan by cancelling the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries.

Bhaskar told ANI, "The Modi government has clearly taken a definitive position as far as talks with Pakistan are concerned. India has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi having any kind of direct contact with the Hurriyat in the past too."

"Now, the fact that the Modi government has chosen to call off the Foreign Secretary level talks is an important development. It conveys a very clear political signal. It also would indicate that the role of the Hurriyat is not acceptable, as far as India is concerned," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Anurag Thakur also questioned why the Pakistan High Commissioner had invited separatist leaders for talks so close to the time when the foreign secretaries of the two countries were to meet.

Thakur told ANI, "Pakistan is not clear what they want. They don't have good intentions. We are keen to have talks. But why invite the separatist leaders when you are going to have talks at the Secretary level?"

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, however, had a different perspective.

Speaking to ANI, he said, "Without the government's permission, the meeting of the Pakistani Envoy and separatists would not have happened on Indian soil. The Pakistan High Commissioner has met the separatists in the past, too. It's difficult to understand why the government is now making it the basis for cancelling talks."

Yechury further asked, "Has this decision been taken keeping in view the Assembly elections that are due? (ANI)